A growing flower
by TwinTigerLover
Summary: Potters had two children. This is the story of the first and how she makes friend and enemies. the big question however is, 'what is her role in the war' read and find out how a withering flower can grow in the darkness.
1. the screw up

**an:** hello people, so this is 'Zinnia's great escape' which means this is the edited version of Red Flower. i have changed a few key things (her name...) so please read from the beginning. i will take red flower of the site (if i can) on 31/10/15. so that should be gone. oh and this is my shorts chapter simple because it is the introduction.

 **declaimer** ; i do not own this story. however Zinnia and a few other names are mine. i will be putting all other disclaimers and author notes at the bottom of the page.

A growing flower. 

Zinnia was a very happy three year old. She had perfect parents who loved her, a perfect little brother and an all-round perfect life. The 31st would see the end of that all too perfect world. Today Lord Voldemort, a madman hell bent on power attacked.

Lily, Zinnia's mother had just laid them both down to sleep in their star night nursery when James, their father, called up the stairs.

"The wards have fallen, get out! Run! He found us." James's voice was high in hysteria and it caused Lily to freeze her whole body seized in panic. But as lights began to fill the house she was moving putting everything, and anything in front of the nursery door and moving Harry, Zinnia's brother, over to her bed.

It did not take long for a red light to fill the house and all to fall silent but the heavy breathing of Lily as she crouched in front of her children. The stillness was like death himself gazed over the house.

The silence was broken by the tapping of footsteps then the door being blasted open, startling Lily as she was caught in the back blast and flung across the room. Her body lay still against the sparkling wall, leaving her children defenceless against the Dark Lord.

Zinnia rose up, unsteady on the bed, to face Voldemort. Her deep emerald eyes glared up at the tall imposing figure who only let of a startled laugh. Lord Voldemort had never let anyone glared at him and he was not going to let a snot noised brat do it either.

Lord Voldemort had come to the Potters house that day to kill the boy but if the girl wanted to dye to then he had no qualms in doing so.

So it was that the Dark Lord rose his wand and cased the fatal spell only for the shamrock green beam to splash against a daffodil gold shield, which formed around the girl to stretch and cover the boy. The splash of green reformed and turned to hit the dark lord in his centre.

The resulting magic sent Zinnia back against the wall, her brother curled up terrified into her unconcise body.

The Dark Lord found himself separate from his body as his reign of terror came to an end.

That night would mark Dumbledore's greatest mistake, the celebration of freedom, the boy-who-lived celebrity status and the divide of the Potter family.

 **twintigerlover**


	2. the visit

finally!

It had been seven years since that day. The day Harry was proclaimed the Boy-Who-Lived by Albus bloody Dumbledore. Since I become the shadow of the Potter family. I was only notice now a days by my sweet little brother, Harry.

A few years ago I would have had Remus and Sirius, as well but they disappeared last Christmas and neither of us had heard from them since. At first I thought they had been hurt or worse but I'm pretty sure someone would mention it because of Remus's states as a Potter's friend and Sirius's title as lord black. I just hoped he would be alright.

The family had moved around the sitting table for breakfast. I stood of to the side waiting for them all to finish and cleaning up the mess from making breakfast. This was a common sighting in the morning because James (my father) did not want a disappointment at the table.

They had just finished and I moved forward to collect the dishes and remaining food (Harry always made sure there was some for me) when a great barn owl flew in through the window and landed itself on my shoulder, leg out stretched.

I froze barely for amount before taking the letter to read. I never got mail. The only people I really knew to send letters did it in person or through the house-elf Muffet who had taken to one of my friends and was happy to visit.

I had only just skimmed over the letter before it was snatched out of my hand by James towering form.

"Who on earth would be writing to you, Squib?" James spat looking over the letter, having no regard to his son, who sat at the table watching the transaction with wide eyes. He hated it when Father was mean to Zin!

"Hogwarts acceptance letter." I replied simple, there was no need to get angry, he always insulted me anyway. I saw Harry's face go from wide eyed to joyful as I mentioned Hogwarts.

"You want be going. I will not have disgrace to this family!" lily's shrill voice spat at me as she stood beside her husband.

I resisted the impulse to raise my eyebrows.

"Surly stopping me would be a disgrace to the family. You would have to come up with a reason to all those people I know and those that have read the Hogwarts leger why I want be attending and still give me an education in magic because according to that letter I am not a 'Squib' after all."

I was being a smartallic and would regret that later but I had to go to Hogwarts! I would not let them deny me my one shot at freedom that Hogwarts offers.

James and lily talked it over before, lily finally huffed and grasp Harry before turning to leave for the weekly meat with the Longbottom family. I shot a smile at Harry, he had become close friend with Neville so hopeful he could take his mind of my placement at Hogwarts for the day, till I could talk to him tonight.

James stepped towards me his face set in stone. "You will go to Gringotts today, take the money from your vault and but your things. I will not be putting any more money in until your OWL and you will not get anymore after that if you do not pass ALL your exams with an O is that understood." His voice was a hiss and he thrust the letter back at me.

I nodded once. Silently, before slipping out of the room and to my attic. James had seen fit to remove me from the main part of the house so I had taken up residence in the Attic.

The smile across my face could not be controlled as I got dressed into a more suited outfit that I bought a while back with money Harry had giving me, sitting he had too much anyway. They still fit because they had extension charms on.

The black jeans matched my silver and black coat which covered a grass green, role neck jumper. My leather boots and figureless gloves completed the set. My jet back raven hair ran smoothly down my back with red and silver highlighting in the sun. (No one was sure where the silver in my hair came from but I thought it was cool).

The busy streets of Diagon Ally were easy to weave my way through as I made my way to the white marble stairs of Gringotts bank. I gave a short bow to the Goblins at the door and made my way through the main hall to an available till.

I stood in front of the still and waited for the Goblin to finish writing and look up at me. I took several minutes for the goblin to cave and look up.

"What do you want?" the goblin snarled, annoyed I had bested him in a game of waiting. Is something a goblin holds high is their will to out patience anyone and it is their custom to talk first. The one to call the conversation must start.

"I wish to take an heir test and claim any and all titles to my line, Master Goblin." A smirk crossed the goblins face as he called one of his counter parts over to take his place, before the Goblin led me down a maze of corridors - that without guidance -I would have been lost in. We stopped outside an office with 'Gripsnap inheritance' on it.

The Goblin knocked on the door before waving me in. I bowed once in thanks to the goblin before stepping inside the office. Gripsnap was an older looing Goblin that sat behind an imposing which sat in the middle of the room.

I bowed in greeting before taking a seat.

"What can Gringotts do for you today Miss Potter?" he asked leaning back in his chair and staring at me.

"I wish to claim any names, beyond the Potters, that may have been left to my bloodline." I stated simple meeting Gripsnap's stare.

He nodded before pulling out a ritual dagger and some parchment from his table, then instructed me to place seven drops of blood on the parchment. I did as instructed and waited for my blood to fade into the parchment, which then began to form words. Gripsnap and I read over the paper.

 **Inheritance line**

 **Name** **;**

 **Zinnia Roselyn Vega Potter. (1978, 1** **st** **august)**

 **Parents;**

 **James Charles Potter (27 match 1960).**

 **Lilian, Maranda Potter nee Evans (30 January 1960)**

 **Blood heir;**

 **Potter (inaccessible)**

 **Black (secondary line)**

 **Gryffindor (main line)**

 **Peverell (main line)**

 **Slytherin (secondary line)**

 **Emrys (main line)**

 **Conquest/bestowed** **;**

 **Slytherin (October 31, 1981)**

 **Emrys (right by magic)**

 **Black (chosen heir)**

 **Magic affiliation;**

 **Chosen bond (Harrison James Potter)**

 **Rune prodigy (blocked)**

 **Charms prodigy (blocked)**

 **Edict memory (unblocked)**

 **Wandless magic (partly blocked)**

 **Multi animagus (partly blocked)**

 **Parseltongue (unblocked)**

 **Beast speaker (partly blocked)**

 **Neutral magiks.**

 **Blocks** **;**

 **85% birth magic clocked (1981-1990)**

 **25% compensated magic expansion.**

I sat back in shock for several long moments just staring at the paper. All those blocks, who would do that? Why? What did I do to deserve that?

Then there was all those titles. I expected one or two. We were an old family but seriously. Emrys heirship of all thing. How had James or anyone else not known!

I took several long and deep breaths, before turning back to Gripsnap, who had been waiting, getting over his own shock.

"I wish to claim what is mine, master Gripsnap and press upon the goblin services to free my magic." I finally said.

Gripsnap smirked.

 **twintigerlover**

 _declaimer:_ so once again i do not own anything but the two OC characters gripsnap and Zinnia and yes i have made many key characters OCC. so sorry.

 _an:_ she is not super powerful. she just has a lot of potential to be great! please review!


	3. meeting my knights

"Fred speaking"

*george speaking*

"*fred & george speaking"*

^ _not mine but JK's chapter 5^_

Shopping and jokers 

When I finally felt Gringotts, free of magic blocks, thanks to the magic in my five new heir rings, I was happy to begin shopping with my newly acquired money. The five rings lay hidden on my right ring figure and a shrunken self-updating account book and a bank card in my pocket.

My first stop was to be the trunk shop so I didn't have to carry anything, then the apothecary and cloth shops, where I picked up double the required items and some of my own. Then the stationary shop for parchment, paper, binds, pens, quills, ink and my gloves and goggles.

I took a break as the clock was reaching one, and stopped outside Florean-Fortescues for lunch. I was just about to start eating when two arms found themselves draped over either shoulder. The twins where in the Ally.

"hello, my dearest"

*Lady, of pranks,*

"mayhem,"

*and mischief*

"wonder what brought"

*you here*

"*so terrible lonesome"*

The Weasley twins concluded, sitting themselves on a seat either side of me. The twins and I had become friends at Harry's third birthday. It had become a ritual for us to get together a pull pranks and plan products for their future shop, whenever their mother brought them to Potter Manor. We had originally become friend because outside of William and Charlie (their brothers) I was the only person that could tell them apart.

It was simple really.

Fred was slightly taller than George and had a freckle under his left eye. Fred was also the more outgoing one and always spoke first; he was the front of the pair.

George in comparison had less freckles but had one under his right eye. He was more serious and had a slightly deeper voice; we was the watcher.

"ah, my dashing knights. I was merely resting before I continued my quest of shopping for a rather precious school of learning and what of you?" I inquired back, those starting a long talk on magic and Hogwarts.

We, in the end, ended up at Flourish and Blotts to buy our books. The twins said goodbye once we got there and went to join their mother. I, however went down row after row, happy to just pick out books I wanted to read and those that were on the list.

Many books on charms, rune and transfigurations, first through fifth, went into to the basket. If I was a prodigy I was going to study for it. I also added 'Magical Beast and their lands' and 'world language- man to beast' because I wanted to learn everything I could on beast speak. Finally I was happy with the amount of books I had, so I paid and made my way to Ollivanders, best and only place in Britain to get a wand legally.

^ _The shop was narrow and shabby. Peeling gold letters over the door read Ollivanders: Makers of fine wands since 382 B.C. a single wand lay on a faded purple cushion in the dusty window._

 _A tinkling bell rang somewhere in the depths of the shop as I stepped inside. It was a tiny place, empty, except for a single, spindly chair that parents properly sat on to wait. It felt strange as tough she had entered a very strict library; swallowing the lump that formed in my throat from all the magic in the room, I looked instead at the thousands of narrow boxes piled neatly right up to the ceiling. For some reason, the back of her neck prickled. The very dust and silence in here seemed to tingle with some secret magic.^_

The strange prickle on my neck was answered when a small man with wide, pale eyes stepped out of the shadows and approached me, stopping when he was right in front of me.

"Miss Potter, or is it Lady Peverell now? Mm." Mr Ollivander asked stepping even closer. He however continued on before I could speak, "Wands! Wands is why you are here, so let us see"

And with that he wondered of down the rows as a tape measure came up and started to measure me. H returned with a stack of wand boxes in one hand and clicked his figures with the other to stop the tape.

"try this dear," he ordered handing over a wand. " yew with unicorn hair, 12 inches"

I took the wand but before I even waved it he snatched it back. So it started.

Oak, 10 inches and Dragon heartstring, blew up the vase.

13 inches, yes with hippogriff Hair, set fire to Ollivanders hair.

11 inches and thestral/hippogriff hair was to hot to even pick up.

Wand after wand was discarded and Ollivander only got more excited. I soon feared no wand would match me. Eventually he all but skipped to the darkest corner of the shop, and returned with a black wooden box in hand. When opened it revealed a black wand with red and white wood woven through it (much like my hair) resting on a silk blue cushion.

"give it a wave" he whispered, holding the box out towards me; his eyes seemed to glow as he watched me.

When my long figures wrapped around the wand and lifted it from the box, a tingling warmth ran up my arm and through my body, making me smile. The core of the wand was connecting with mine. A green and golden light shot from the wand and swept throughout the room, restoring everything I broke earlier and then removing the dust and cleaning the windows. The wood polished and the cracked tiles were repaired and cleaned.

Ollivander clapped happily, "wonderful, wonderful! That wand has been here longer then I have" he exclaimed.

"rare wood, from the African Rosewood, intertwined with blood wood and white birth. Two light woods and one dark a very dangerous combination. While the inside is even more deadly and just as controversial" Ollivander was far too excited about this wand that I held, it was kind of worrying. "Niveus Volucris ash and Incendium Avis feather and a Saeptuose Raven tear. Three very rare birds only on is still though to exist. A truly powerful wand." He concluded.

I nodded slowly and paid for the wand, wand holder and care kit.

I left to return home. I had much to do before dinner, which needed cooking as well because James was going to be mad as it was.

 **twintigerlover**

 _declaimer:_ so once again all but the OC and Niveus Volucris ash and Incendium Avis feather and a Saeptuose Raven tear is JK's. if you want more info on the birds let me know. I have taken the description of Ollivander's from the book just in case you missed the reference at the top

AN; please please please review.


	4. the journey

Change 

The next few weeks leading up to the 1st were some of the best and worst of my life so far. James had become more aggressive in his abuse towards me in hope to 'keep me in line' at school but that had given me more time to study because he had to give me time to heal and release the large amount of magic he cast on me, into the home wards or magical objects I held dear.

With me now wearing the Peverell ring I had access to the Potter extended library and training rooms, so I could practice my potions and defences magic without letting James know what was going on. I was pretty confident in my skill by the time school finally came round it was just a shame I could not use it on James, least at this until I'm older anyway.

I was packed and ready to go by six o'clock on Friday September 1st, my trunk placed by the fireplace (which would be my means of transport) and I was in the kitchen getting the families breakfast ready.

Everyone else joined me at half seven and sat down to eat. I remained standing per usually and cleared away. Once they had eaten Lily took Harry and left to the Longbottom residents, apparently they had a tea party to attend.

James stood up and walked towards me, backing me up into the counter top. "I do not expect any letters about you, I don't need a reminder that you exist while you are gone, Squib! I expect you to be in Gryffindor, there will be no shame brought on me and my son because of you, is that understood." His voice was cold as he stared down at me. "You will not like the consequence if I find you degrading the Potter name, is that clear."

I nodded, before slipping out from between him and the counter and heading for the door. I head James say something else, maybe a spell but I was already out the door and going for my trunk and the fire place.

The platform was basically empty when I arrived because of how early it was but I did not mind. Heading for a compartment at the back of the train, just like I told the twins, I put my trunk on the top rake and sat down, potion books in hand. That was how I past the two and a half hours as everyone come on to the train, reading. No one joined me till the final whistle when the twins slipped into the compartment and took a seat. I decided to ignore them for now while I finished the few page to my book and let them talk to themselves.

The journey was mostly uneventful with me and the twins messing around and talking to Charlie when he dropped round to check on us, having just entered his last year and was the Quidditch captain. The twins wanted to try for beaters next year and I would normally play chaser or seeker with them, however they recon I would end up in a different house to them. The twins had agreed to stay partners in crime with me even in different houses.

 _"Cause I'm the thinking cap"_

The hall was clapping as the hat finished singing. The twins and I stood with the first years at the front of the hall. They looked really disappointed that all they had to do was put on a hat. I smiled and elbowed them to straighten up. Professor McGonagall stated calling out names and one by one students went up and joined a table as a member of the house. The numbers dwindled down to only five remained and then my name was called.

"Potter Zinnia"

The hall was full of confusion as I walked up to the stall, apparently James had done a good job making the world forget I exist. The hat soon fell down over my eyes blocking out the hall and a quite deep baritone rang out through my head.

"Well, well. Don't you have an eventful childhood Miss Peverell, so much strife? Now which house, Hufflepuff for your fierce loyalty to those you call family. Maybe Ravenclaw for your drive for knowledge. Gryffindor would do you well. Bravery and courage in the buckets full. Or maybe the noble Slytherin, who would understand your past and support that cunningness." I raised my eyebrow, he honestly thought I could go into any house. But I know which one would be safest for me and my plans.

"Very well" the hat seemed to smirk "good luck little heir"

"GRYFFINDOR!"

The twins cheered as I joined the table of red and gold, and their older brothers happily introduced me to the group. The twins being the last to be sorted also joined me down at the table of bravery, only latter will they admit to a near sorting into Slytherin.

The North Tower was too far away from the great hall when you're exhausted but at least the walk was worth it. The walls wear covered in painting and the fireplace was lit warming the room, sofas were jotted about in clumps and in the corner was a set of revision tables. The boys were sent up the left staircase to their rooms and us girls to the right.

We are to share a dorm together because of how few of us there was. The bed arrangements were quickly made.

Angelina Johnson was a tall lean girl with fare dark skin and black hair styles into a bob cut. She took the bed on the right opposite the door.

Alicia Spinnet was a tanned small girl who hid behind long brown hair as she moved towards the bed opposite the window and next to Angelina.

Katie bell was a blond girl with brood shoulders and a pixie cut, taking up the bed on the left opposite the door and cross from Alicia.

Levelling me to the bed on the left opposite the window that looked out over the grounds and lake.

The other girls where talking to each other, it would appear that they sat together on the train and were already friends. The whole group were quick to have their things sorted and then shower, ready for bed. I went straight to my bed after washing but the girls were still talking about the feast and what would happen now. So I called night to them, before casting a silencing charm on the curtain hangings of the bed.

"At least James want find fault with my sorting" was my last thought.

 **twintigerlover**

AN: right so this is the chapter that did not post correctly last time. so a heads up this time if it does not work now either. but i should do. review please. :'(

declaimer; i own nothing. it's why we call this FANFICTION. OC Zinnia is mine!


	5. learning and memory

"fred speaking"

*george speaking*

"*fred and george speaking "*

 **Classes**

When I woke the next morning it was early, just as the sun was rising and I found a piece of paper on my bedside table with our class schedule on it. It was to start on Monday. Which gave me and the twins the whole weekend to learn our way round this place. Or at least start to.

 **Timetable (1** **st** **year)**

 **Monday: transfiguration (raven), charms (raven), Herbology (slyth), DADA (slyth).**

 **Tuesday: charms (raven), history (all), DADA (slyth) free period Astronomy (all).**

 **Wednesday: free period, potions (slyth), transfiguration (raven), Herbology (slyth).**

 **Thursday: transfiguration (raven), charms (raven), DADA (slyth), free period.**

 **Friday: potion (slyth), potions (slyth) Herbology (slyth) free period.**

 ***please note…..**

 **Flying lessons will be on Thursday afternoon at 16:00 please attend until Madam Hooch says otherwise.**

 **Breakfast is at 6:30 to 11:30**

 **Lunch is at 13:00 to 14:00**

 **Dinner is at 17:00 to 20:00.**

 **Each class is 1h 30m. First lesson starts at 9:30. ***

So I showered quickly before dressing in my fitted black combat trousers and red shirt with hoody. My hair pulled back into a Dutch braid down my back. I did not bother with any makeup and slipped out within fifteen minutes without waking anyone else.

I headed down into the common room, parchment book and quill in hand. I sat myself up opposite the window to draw the sun rising up over the grounds. It was not till gone ten o'clock that the twins came down stairs (six hours after myself).

They had a dark skinned boy with long dread locks with them. I smiled and put my stuff into an expanded pocket, (they maybe muggle clothes but I do love magic) and joined the twins and their new friend Lee Jorden.

"We still have an hour for breakfast" I informed them.

*Goody,* Fred hummed.

 **"** Then let, **"** George continued

*Us go,*

 **"** Before are exploring"

 **"** *Starts **"** * The twins concluded.

The tennis talk had made Jorden rather dizzy.

I linked my arms through the twins and began walking. About half way to the portrait door we stopped and turned towards Jorden, "you coming!" we chimed together. And continued on our way.

The next few weeks were great. The boys and me got to know Lee (I had stopped calling him Jorden by lunch) and even worked out where are classes are going to be and the library was found (for research) the hospital wing (just in case).

I even befriended my room mates. It was clear we all had an interest in Quidditch so that helped and the girls also wanted me to help with their hair, while Angeline did make up. So in the morning I agreed to wait for the girl's to get up and help them, before meeting up with the twins down in the hall for breakfast.

Our first ever lesson was Transfigurations with Professor McGonagall. She was defiantly George's favourite so far because she started the class by scaring everyone when she turned from an interesting tabby cat on the table to her normal stern self.

Then she lectured the class on her expectations, before finally turning the desk into a pig. It was all every amusing. She even let us try out transfiguring in the second half but only I managed to turn the matchstick into a needle. However the twins plus Lee and some Ravenclaws got half the transfiguration by the end of class earning us a total of 25 points.

The Defence Against the Dark Arts class was run by Professor Jacobs, as a retired Auror he knows his stuff but he was getting on a little in age, so talked really slowly and did not have any practical work planned, so we had planned on finding an empty room to practice all our spell work and maybe even some of our experiments to, but we would have to lose Lee first, as the twins had yet to introduce him to that side of our friendship. The practicing should be simple for the first couple of weeks because of my past practicing at the Manor.

If Trig was George's favourite then Charms was Fred's. The class was run by Professor Flitwick, who was a short dwarf of a man with a high pitch voice. He sat on a pile of books to see over his desk and would pop up behind people to give praise or criticism to how we were pronouncing our spells and wand movement. Fred loved how he could sneak up on everyone and suspected he had silencers on his shoes.

However my favourite class of the week was Potions with Potions Master Prince or as he was called by the school, Professor Snape, bat of the dungeons. He was a tall lean man shrouded in a black cloak with shoulder length, silky raven hair. His face was angular with a hooked nose and bleak, dark brown eyes that resemble a never ending black tunnel.

His voice was a quite baritone that rouse over all the noise and made you listen. He talked in the beginning of class about the art of potion making. Before lettings us move on to a practical with the person next to us, who will be our partner for the whole term. I was on the desk on my own, dew to the odd number. So I ended up working with a tall, broad boy called Marcus Flint. A Slytherin, who was held back a year for failing

Despite that setback with Marcus, I enjoyed brewing. When the Potters were out and I had free reign over the lab I would practice and mix round with the potion instructions to make a perfect potion. So it was not that hard to keep Flint on track and brew a perfect Boil cure for the hospital wing.

The professor seemed confused as to how a Potter like me could brew so well but let it slide and seemed to watch me more often. That made sense considering the amount of torture my father and later on my mother put him through when they were younger. I wanted to prove him otherwise - that I was better than a Potter. I was a Peverell - and that I was not a bad person.

Samhain was the first big thing that happened in the year.

Samhain was a celebration that happened once a year on the 31st sunrise of October to the 1st sundown of November. This day is the day when the veil is the thinnest and Magik's is at her strongest.

The twins and I had set up a secluded room that was on the north side of the nine floor, overlooking the forest and the sunset, to do all our work. Today however, was for All Hallows Eve we decided to start the Samhain celebrations.

We had been unable to do it when we were younger because the Ministry of Magic frowns on people using The Old Ways. But William, the twin's oldest brother, had introduced us to the celebration and we agreed to continue it at Hogwarts. So the room was coloured black with a purple candle for each person we wished to remember was set on the floor with offerings set up around them.

Charlie had agreed to join us (so he did not have to do it alone for hid last year at Hogwarts) but Lee being muggle born was at end the Hogwarts feast with the rest of the year. So we had snuck out half way through the feast, just as the sun tuned the sky pink. Once in the room we lit are candles I placed them in front of each place in our pentagram before we began to meditate at the point of each pentagon with the wooden bowl placed at the last point of the pentagon instead of the middle like normal.

The whole idea of the meditation is to remind our ancestors that we remember them and so their family magic stays strong in our blood. It was why the older purebloods, classified as neutral and dark, have stronger magic because they still remember The Old Ways and celebrate their families Magic's and Mother Magik.

I did not ask the brothers who they were remembering but I had several and not all of them were a Potter either, but had a handing in making me, me.

Igneous, the first Peverell who passed his fortune on and made the Potter linage possible, made my Beast speech possible.

Salazar slytherin, because despite is believed history, he was family, I was his new heir and I would like to do him proud.

Remus Lupin, my beloved Uncle who I have heard nothing from in a long while, I ask Magik to protect him if he lived or give him peaceful rest if he did not. I hoped he lived because he was the only father figure I ever had and I prayed he was alright.

I don't know how long I was sat there before I woke from my stasis and placed my chosen incense into the wooded bowl, which the Weasleys had already put theirs in and picked up a candle, before lighting them on fire. I let the burning incense surround the room, before standing up to face the Weasleys, who stood to the side of the room so they did not disturb me once they finished their own ritual.

What I was not expecting, was to see Professor Snape standing of to the side of the room next to Charlie. His face was completely neutral so I have no Idea what he was thinking but the boys looked terrified. I sighed and straightened completely and blanked me expression.

"Professor?" I wanted to know what he was going to do and how he got through the wards on the door without tripping the traps, not even dismantling should have worked!

"Miss Potter, this was not what I was expecting when I entered this room, thinking you were plotting some unholy thing after curfew maybe. But no. What I find is you all participating in a ritual, a forbidden and classified dark ritual inside Hogwarts. What will your family think?"

The weasleys paled horribly and I felt my hands shake, James would kill me if he found out!

"Please professor, there is nothing wrong with this ritual. I just wanted to be closer to my family. I..."

I stopped I had nowhere to go with this argument. To be honest I was grateful the professor had the sense not to interrupt the meditation until I completed it. I do not want to see the consequence if he had. Maybe we could convince him to just give us a detention and not tell anyone what we did?

"You were lucky it was me that found you" the professor started to move towards the door.

Wait that was it. No punishment, nothing. We shared a look confused.

"If you truly fill the need to continue celebrating the Old ways then you are welcome to the Slytherin common rooms to do so, with MY monitoring and the rest of the students that celebrate. Is that understood?" He reached out for the handle but did not turn it till he heard a reply.

"Perfectly professor, thank you." He nodded then glided out of the class room.

I watched the Wesley slide to the floor, each twin leaning on their older brother's shoulder, before I walked over to them and collapsed on Fred's left.

"Didn't see that coming" Charlie breathed. That seemed to brake the tension because suddenly we were all laughing hysterically.

Severus could not honestly say whether he was having a bearable year or a terrible one. He had through this year was going to be one of the worst with the Wesley's twins coming and their notarise pranking being given the access to magic, they did not have before but they had surprised him. Rarely pranking and even if they did it was small scale and actually had amusement more than a bulling act like the Marauders.

Then there had been Zinnia Potter, the first scorn of Potter and Evens. He thought she would be a miniature Potter, with 'Her' looks but she was completely different. She had midnight, dark, raven heir with deep red and silver highlights. She was tall and lean and carried herself with confidence but not arrogance. She was intelligent and new what she was doing but did not brag about it or look down on others for the own knowledge. I fact he had seen her helping many different people out with their work - each one from different house and still kept a pretty good leash on those twins.

Then when he thought the year had settled into what he would call a bearable if not good year, he found the remaining Wesley, minus Percival and Potter doing an ancient Old way ritual on Samhain. Now he had nothing against them doing it, in fact every year he has the Slytherins and some Ravenclaws down in the common room on the day of the four key celebrations to do the related ritual properly. It was the fact the Weasleys and Potter, two major light families knew how to perform the ritual and looked like they had been doing it for a while.

It was what led to him offering them a place at the celebrations in the dungeons. The Old Ways was meant to be done in large numbers anyway and it lets him keep an eye them as well.

Anyway that's what led to a potential terrible year becoming a bearable year, to him now having more students to look after - instead of letting McGonagall know, who would have kicked them out the moment she found out. Because, despite his outward appearance, he did care for the students, especially if you were at good as potions as Potter was.

Because God dammit, there was something wrong with that Potter that had him caring and he would find out what caused it!

 **twintigerlover**

 _declaimer:_ i own nothing. zip, zadder. well, alright Zinnia is mine... but still this is a fanfiction based off of JK's Harry Potter.

AN; please review. this was my newest chapter so the next chapter will be in about a week or two. so the expectation is more than the 3 reviews i got on the first write up, because 3 out of the 856 people that viewed is just depressing. so REVIEW.


End file.
